Why you should leverage a Content Management System when rolling out an MVP

The goal of an MVP is to provide immediate value quickly while minimising development costs and gathering data and feedback that can then be applied to improve future iterations of the product. Start-ups have limited resources and one of the ways founders can quickly roll out an MVP is to leverage CMSs like WordPress, Shopify, Wix, etc. It will save founders the cost of setting up a team of developers while ensuring the quality of the developed product. There is always a CMS that will work for every business idea. CMS is as simple as embedding forms on web pages to collect data from users.

MVP is not only the best player in the team but also a minimum viable product in the start-up space. A service that has sufficient qualities to attract the first users. This is very important in the conditions of a start-up – to get feedback and understand in which direction it is worth moving.

What makes up the MVP’s price? What factors affect the development budget for the first product release?

The cost of developing a minimum viable product can vary from zero to infinity – the final figure largely depends on the budget and complexity of the project. The price of an MVP is primarily determined by the decisions made at the start. So, for example, you can:

Ask for help from fellow developers or assemble an in-house team (recruit developers, designers, testers). Make a simple landing page or build a technically complex solution with many different features (some are convinced that at the MVP stage, it is critical to fit everything within the budget). The total development cost will vary greatly depending on the scenario you choose. From all this, we can conclude that there is no such thing as "the exact cost of an MVP". And it's true, and there is nothing in the start-up world that can be set in stone.

What affects the MVP’s cost?

Let's say you have an idea. There is a desire to turn the concept into reality, but no technical background exists. As well as fellow developers. What will you do? You will likely start looking for people who can help with design and development.

And so, you started looking for an MVP development agency. In this case, the cost of the first version will depend on the following factors:

1. Location and team. Nigeria, kenya, UK, Europe or India – the cost of developing an MVP will be different everywhere. We will not dwell on the top outsourcing countries in detail – this issue can be quickly closed using Google. But rest assured, the closer you get to the US, the higher the price tag will rise.

2. Number of features. A way to minimise development costs is to leave only the most necessary ones in the backlog. What does that mean? It means those features without which the product will not be able to function normally.

3. Integrations with third-party services. We are talking about those services that help the user achieve the primary goal. For example, you can set up an SMTP server to send emails and configure all the mail logic there. Or you can lower the price by using a ready-made email service.

4. Design. Creating a design is a lot like sewing. The same dresses, for example. If you abandon the minimalistic “basic” option and move towards something more complex and custom (with beads or lace), sewing even one such dress will take a lot of time. The same happens if you ask a designer to do something "unique and unlike anything else."

5. "Native" or "Crossplatform" (for mobile apps). Development on native technologies consumes more time and resources, while cross-platform solutions allow you to develop simultaneously for both platforms – iOS and Android.

6. Reliable partner. It is essential to choose a partner with a reliable tech service provider. It would be better if you consider partnering with a reliable contractor to help you resolve your business issues. Otherwise, an unreliable software vendor will overcharge you and provide you with a poor-quality product. This means that the product will have numerous bugs, slow page loading speeds, performance issues, and quality.

Why you should use a CMS to improve your business website

Now that we have figured out the MVP and the importance of careful financial planning before launching, we can move on to the next step – CMS.

Using a content management system (CMS) for your website can be one of the best investments you can make in your digital presence and business. And you need to invest – your website is one of your main tools for communicating with your customers, and you want to make sure they love it. But that doesn't mean you want to get bogged down in technical details. After all, a CMS combines power and simplicity, so you still have time to focus on improving your business.

You need to use a CMS to run your business website for several reasons.

1. This is just for those who are not tech-savvy.
Not all users have the same level of comfort with technology, but the basic CMS features of writing and publishing content and the slightly more advanced features of adding media are generally easy to understand for everyone. Even people who are not proficient in word processing software can use CMSs for essential functions, so you don't have to spend much time learning.

2. It allows multiple users.
Many people in business can contribute to your website, from those who add product pages to those who create blog posts for your content marketing efforts. The CMS makes it easy to manage roles and publishing permissions for all of these users so that only those you allow can publish content, and content only becomes available when you're ready.

3. It makes planning easier.
Because of this, any decent CMS will give you a quick overview of the status of all content, whether it's live, under review, or in the draft. This applies not only to blog posts but also to product pages and other website pages. Moreover, it allows you to assign tasks and check their progress. And it's easy to integrate scheduled content into your marketing plan, so everyone knows what's happening and when.

4. Improves site maintenance.
Need to change something on your site? Without a CMS, this can mean having to go through hundreds of pages, making changes to each one. However, the basic architecture of the CMS is the same, so you can complete maintenance changes, update the CMS software, and add functionality without breaking the site. In fact, with a suitable CMS, it can update itself automatically.

5. Design changes are effortless.
Speaking of making changes, let's talk about the site's appearance. If you want to change the design of your website, a CMS will make the process easier. This is because the content and design are in separate virtual boxes, so you can make changes to the design while still keeping the site functional. Another advantage is making changes to your admin panel and automatically propagating them to the entire site. This gives your site a consistent look and feel and is excellent for branding. It also makes updating your site's mobile experience much more straightforward.

6. It helps you manage content. It may seem obvious, but for some businesses, content management isn't just about publishing content; it's about being able to remove it when it's out of date. For example, if you're running a Thanksgiving or Christmas promotion, you'll want to delete and change it before the season ends. With a CMS, it's as easy as unpublishing content – all menus and links are automatically updated to keep your customers on the site. And if you want to include custom content like countdown calendars and lists, the CMS can be configured to do just that. And a good CMS also includes SEO, ensuring your content ranks well in search engines.

7. You are in control. All this is the most significant advantage of CMS. Instead of relying on an external provider, with a CMS, you are in control, with the ability to assign tasks and roles and check progress at any time. This puts you in the driver's seat regarding this critical business tool.

Summing up
As content management systems continue to evolve, we see a continuous evolution in the features that customers require and what you should expect from your CMS in growing your business website. From new microdata requirements to robust and easy-to-use templates, your next CMS should take advantage of these advanced features to make your website and administration faster.